STEPHEN Ireland wants to win over the Villa Park faithful with a fresh start this season after being given the Brum’s rush by supporters for slagging off the city of Birmingham.

STEPHEN Ireland wants to win over the Villa Park faithful with a fresh start this season after being given the Brum’s rush by supporters for slagging off the city of Birmingham.

Ireland is desperate to go from midfield misfit to fans’ favourite and hopes the claret and blue masses will give him a second chance in the Second City.

The 24-year-old playmaker endured a nightmare first year at Villa because of form, fitness and fall-outs with former boss Gerard Houllier. Ireland has made just seven starts and one substitute appearance since joining last summer as an £8m makeweight from Manchester City.

His season from hell went from bad to worse when Houllier criticised his attitude and he spent the second half of it on loan at Newcastle.

The five-month spell at St James’ Park was just as bad for the former Ireland international who played just 40 minutes of football because of a knee problem.

And to add insult to injury, Ireland further infuriated Villa fans by supposedly describing Brum as a “crap city” in a magazine interview.

He promptly claimed he was misquoted, but on his return to training on Friday, admitted performances are more important than apologies.

High hopes

“I just said in an interview that I got left out of so many squads here last year that if I was only training a few days a week and not playing then there wasn’t really much point moving my family down here to Birmingham and taking my three kids out of school,” he explained.

“So Fridays I would train and then I wouldn’t be back in again until Monday so it was pointless moving house and not being part of things at the weekend.

“I think anybody in my shoes wouldn’t have moved down. And then January comes and I go to Newcastle, so am I supposed to move my family up to Newcastle? And then back to Manchester, do you know what I mean?

“That’s what I said. But it became ‘I don’t like Birmingham’ and was written as ‘I don’t want to be in Birmingham’. I’ve not got any problem with Birmingham.”

Ireland appreciates that the claret and blue brigade were more let down by what he did – or rather didn’t do – on the pitch than what he said off it.

Villa fans had high hopes for the attacking midfielder when he arrived as part of the deal which took James Milner the other way to Manchester City 11 months ago. “You have to start with a fresh new slate now,” he said. “It didn’t go off with a bang like I wanted it to when I first signed here.

“I just want to be given the opportunity to play. Last year I felt in training I had done enough to get that chance to play but it didn’t happen for me. I just want to be treated normally when it comes to training, performance and team selection. If I’m working hard enough I’d like to know I’ve got a clear shot at playing. That’s my main goal. Whether those comments came out or didn’t, the main problem is not what I said or didn’t say, it’s that I haven’t played games.

“The only way of building up a better relationship with the fans is by playing, regardless of what’s said in the press. You do the talking on the field and that’s exactly what I want to do.”

Alex McLeish has promised to wipe the slate clean for Ireland and fellow cast-offs Stephen Warnock and Habib Beye this season. And Ireland looked happy and relaxed when he linked up with his team-mates and the new boss for pre-season training two days ago.

“All pre-season I’m going to work really hard to try and get in the new gaffer’s plans and hopefully stay there,” said Ireland. “I had a brief chat with him and he seemed really nice and determined. It seems as if he’ll be a good manager for the players and the club going forward.

“I’m sure he’ll update us as we get more time together but at the moment all the players are positive, the morale is brilliant and everyone’s really happy.

“Right now I’m in a good place. I’m feeling really good and really determined. I’ve got a very good feeling about this year, not just for myself but the team and the fans and I want to do well for them.

“I set goals for myself, obviously I want to build up a good relationship with the fans. I want to get in the team and play the best that I can.

“I just want to good run. I need that because I’ve not really had a good run in the last few seasons.

“It’s a shame but I can’t let that bother me. I’ve got to keep working hard to try and get my form and my sharpness back. It might take four or five games to get that back, but hopefully as soon as I do I can look forward and not look back.”